About

As two former educators currently working in the field of concussion, we noticed that many webinars and articles about return to learn were written by every profession except for the one profession Return to Learn is geared towards – EDUCATORS! Our mission is to empower educators to take control over how concussions are handled in their classrooms. School is the educator’s domain, no one knows the classroom better than you!

Educators know schools.

At GetSchooledOnConucssions.com we focus on one page concussion tip sheets for teachers, administrators, school nurses, school mental health, counselors, parents and professionals. Former educators ourselves, we know what can and cannot be provided in classrooms during the recovery from a concussion. We empower teachers to understand the underlying causes of concussion symptoms so that they can provide appropriate, swift and generous supports in their own classrooms.

Are you ready to get schooled?

Karen McAvoy, PsyD

Karen McAvoy, PsyD is a dually credentialed clinical and school psychologist. After 20 years as a school psychologist in Cherry Creek Schools, she left the district to write mild/moderate/severe TBI policy for the Colorado Department of Education.

She is the author of REAP – a Community-Based Concussion Management Protocol (see www.REAPconcussion.com). She spends the majority of her time training school districts on the GetSchooledOnConcussions RTL concepts and provides neurocognitive assessment and consultation for adults and children with neurodiversity, concussion and brain injury in an Interdisciplianry Team Clinic in Colorado. Dr McAvoy is well published on Return to Learn and speaks nationally and internationally on the topic.

Brenda Eagan-Johnson, MEd, CBIS

Brenda Eagan-Johnson, MEd, CBIS has worked in the field of pediatric traumatic brain injury for over 20 years. She currently directs a statewide brain injury school consulting program, is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, and is obtaining her doctorate at Johns Hopkins University in Mind, Brain & Teaching.. Brenda is published in the field of concussion in schools, presents nationally/ internationally, and has served on expert panels for both the CDC & IOM committees. She spearheaded the development of the Return to Learn Concussion Management Team Model in her state, training over 2,000+ school district Return to Learn Concussion Management Teams teams in PA and CO combined.

She is also the also the sibling of a severe TBI survivor which is where her passion for helping schools and students began.

(Co-Author)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Helping students recover from a concussion: Classroom tips for teachers. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/pdfs/schools/tbi_classroom_tips_for_teachers-a.pdf

(Co-Author)
Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2013). The BrainSTEPS program – returning to school after concussion: Recommended protocol. Retrieved from http://www.pattan.net/category/Resources/PaTTAN%20Publications/Browse/Single/?id=50abeb288b03329452000006

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Heads Up to Schools: Know Your Concussion ABC’s, Returning to School After a Concussion: A Fact Sheet for School Professionals. External Expert Reviewer/Contributor

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013a). Helping students recover from a concussion: Classroom tips for teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/pdf/TBI_Classroom_Tips_for_Teachers-a.pdf (Co-Author)

Communique – Return to Learning: Going Back to School Following a Concussion, National Association of School Psychologists March/April 2012, Volume 40, Number 6.

REAP (Remove/Reduce*Educate*Adjust/Accommodate*Pace) – A Community-Based Concussion Management Program copyright 2009 – Colorado state, national and international recognition as a comprehensive, school-based, community-based protocol for concussion management; mentioned as a teacher resource at the 4th Consensus Conference, Zurich, November 2012.

Karen McAvoy, PsyD

Brenda Eagan-Johnson, MEd, CBIS

The information and materials contained in this website are for general information purposes only. The information and materials are provided by Karen McAvoy, PsyD. and Brenda Eagan Johnson, MEd., CBIS, and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. The website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The website is also not intended as an alternative to legal advice from your attorney or other professional legal services provider. We may provide hyperlinks to third party websites as a convenience to users of this website. We do not control third party websites and are not responsible for the contents of any hyperlinked third party websites or any hyperlink in a hyperlinked site. We do not endorse, recommend, or approve any third party website hyperlinked from this website and we shall have no liability to any entity for the content or use of the content available through such hyperlink.